The field of this invention is that of members of refractory metal materials of selected shape and of methods of making such members.
There are many metallic materials in which different metals are combined with each other or other materials to achieve desirable properties such as low density with high strength, good corrosion (oxidation) resistance, or good retention of selected properties such as high strength at high temperatures wherein the materials have not been adapted to be fabricated by conventional forging means and the like such as rolling, drawing and stamping because of their lack of intrinsic ductility for example. Exemplary of such metallic materials of great interest to the aerospace industry are refractory metal materials such as beryllides and aluminides, particularly intermetallic compounds of titanium and aluminum having ordered crystalline structures of definite composition which, due to lack of slip directions in the lattice structures of these materials, have not been compatible with conventional forming technology.
It has also been frequently proposed to incorporate reinforcing elements such as metal fibers or the like within various materials for providing members formed from the materials with greater strength. However such members have frequently been characterized by the relatively low strength of the bond between the elements and the materials being reinforced such that the members are typically not adapted to be shaped after the reinforcing elements have been introduced into the materials. In that regard, the desirability of introducing reinforcing elements into the refractory metal materials noted above has been recognized but as yet members embodying such refractory materials having adequate reinforcing means therein have not been capable of being formed by use of the forging steps and the like noted above conventionally used in forming members of metal materials.